Sun Shijin, Hou Zhengyang, Guo Jiahui, Tian Qian
Department of Psychology, School of Social Development and Public Policy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Front Psychol. 2025 Jun 4;16:1578234. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1578234. eCollection 2025.
With the growing convenience of shopping and the rise of consumerism, impulsive buying has become increasingly prevalent, sometimes leading to harmful consequences. Unlike traditional research focusing on proximal product-related factors, this study investigates the distal influence of early environmental unpredictability on impulsive buying behavior, grounded in life history theory. Additionally, the moderating role of resource scarcity is examined from a broader societal perspective.
A 2×2 between-subjects factorial experimental design was employed, involving 161 participants. The independent variables were early environmental unpredictability (low vs. high) and perceived resource scarcity (scarcity vs. normal). Participants were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental conditions to explore the relationship between early environmental factors and impulsive consumption tendencies.
The findings revealed that: (1) early environmental unpredictability significantly and positively predicts impulsive buying behavior; and (2) this predictive effect is amplified under conditions of perceived resource scarcity.
These results highlight the lasting impact of early life environments on consumer behavior and suggest that resource scarcity can exacerbate impulsive consumption. The study offers practical insights for reducing impulsive buying in modern society and contributes to interdisciplinary understanding in psychology and behavioral economics.
随着购物便利性的不断提高和消费主义的兴起，冲动购买变得越来越普遍，有时会导致有害后果。与专注于近端产品相关因素的传统研究不同，本研究基于生命史理论，探讨早期环境不可预测性对冲动购买行为的远端影响。此外，从更广泛的社会视角考察资源稀缺的调节作用。
采用2×2组间析因实验设计，涉及161名参与者。自变量为早期环境不可预测性（低与高）和感知资源稀缺（稀缺与正常）。参与者被随机分配到四个实验条件之一，以探究早期环境因素与冲动消费倾向之间的关系。
研究结果显示：（1）早期环境不可预测性显著正向预测冲动购买行为；（2）在感知资源稀缺的条件下，这种预测效应会增强。
这些结果凸显了早期生活环境对消费者行为的持久影响，并表明资源稀缺会加剧冲动消费。该研究为现代社会减少冲动购买提供了实用见解，并有助于心理学和行为经济学的跨学科理解。
